Creeper



June 20, 1939. AR|ET| 2,162,928

' CREEEER Filed Jan. 12, 1938 INVENTOR EUGENEAFIET/ ATTORNEYS Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

:10 of-the creeper on the sole portion of the boot may be detached without disturbing the attachment of the heel portion and replaced in position without manipulation of the heel portion. Similarly the heel portion may be removed and re- 'l5 placed without disturbing the sole portion.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the parts 20 in operative position and in the relation they occupy when attached to a shoe or boot;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the heel member;

$25 Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 2, showing the attaching member which is common to the heel and sole members of the creeper; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the 30 manner of attaching the toe strap.

Referring to the drawing, the device is shown as comprising a heel member generally indicated at H] and a sole member similarly indicated at H. The member II) which may be similar in con- 35 struction to that disclosed in my prior Patent 2,026,013, issued December 31, 1935, is here shown as comprising two formed plates l2 and M which overlap at l5, the overlapped portions being respectively provided with slots l6 and Il. Headed 40 rivets l8 carried by plate |4 extend through slots l6 and similar rivets l9 carried by plate l2 extend through slots I! to provide lengthwise adjustment of the heel member to conform to varying sizes of heels. Plates l2 and M are provided 45 with a plurality of spikes 20.

Plate 2 is provided at its forward edge with a hook portion 2| extending over the breast edge of the heel. Plate I4 is provided with a projection in the form of spaced portions 22 and 50 23 extending over the rear edge of the heel and providing an openeended slot 24 between them. A band 25 formed of relatively flexible metal surrounds the heel. The ends of band 25 extend around the side edges of the heel and part way 55 along the breast of the heel, terminating in outwardly bent flange portions 25. The flange portions 26 are secured to an attaching member which as shown comprises a cylindrical bar 21, the ends of which are tapped to receive screws 28 extending through apertures formed in flanges 5 26 and by which the band 25 is held tightly around the heel. As shown, cylinder 21 is provided with a plurality of spaced substantially square flanges 30, across the breast side of which is'secured abridge piece 3| forming with the flanges 30 and cylinder 21 a center slot or eye 32 in which the hook 2| may be engaged as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and two similar end slots or eyes 33 later referred to. The bridge piece 3| while preferred is not essential as the breast of the heel will serve as the rear wall of the slot.

Band 25 is provided at the rear witha headed stud 35, the shank of which engages in the slot 24 between members 22 and 23 with the head of the stud overlying the adjacent edges of the-" members as best shown in Fig. 3. A catch 31, pivoted at 38 to the heel plate above the slot 24, is adapted after stud 35 is engaged in slot 24, to engage between the head 35 and members 22 and 23, and to bridge the slot adjacent its open end as shown in Fig. 3, thus releasably holding the rear end of the heel member of the creeper to the band. A screw 39 is threaded through the catch 31 in position to be advanced into slot 24 when the catch is in closed position to hold the catch closed. The edges of the head of screw are preferably knurled as shown at 40 to facilitate locking and unlocking of the catch;

The member I of the creeper comprises a plate which fits against the portion of the sole be- 35 neath the ball of the foot and a plate 46 hinged to plate 45 at 41 and fitting against the arch portion of the sole. Plate 45 is provided with a plurality of suitably arranged spikes 48. The sides of plate 45 are pierced by a plurality of slots 5|] 40 in which strap attaching members may be selectively engaged. These latter members each comprise a plate portion 5| having a tongue portion 52 adapted to be inserted in one of the slots 50, the end of the tongue being bent over as at 53, Fig. 5, to hold the members to the plate. The side of plate 5| opposite tongue 52 is provided with two cuts as at 55, the portion between the cuts being bent into a loop 56 around one side of a flattened ring 51 through which a suitable holding strap 58 is passed. The portions of plate 5| outwardly of the slots are rolled inwardly to form beads 59 engageable between the sole and upper of the boot or shoe. It will be understood that by suitably selecting the slots 50 in which the tongue 52 is engaged various widths of soles may be accommodated.

The free end of plate 46 is forked and the ends of the forks are bent outwardly to form spaced hooks 60 adapted to be engaged in slots 33 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. With hooks 60 engaged in slots 33 and strap 58 tightly engaged around the toe of the boot or shoe the sole portion of the creeper is securely held in place. While plate 46 is shown unprovided with spikes it may of course be furnished with spikes or anti-slip corrugations if desired.

It will be clear from. the above descriptio that either the heel member It! or the sole member Il may be easily and quickly released from its connection with band 25 and removed without disturbing the other or the band 25, or that both may be removed, leaving band 25 in place. A creeper is thus provided conveniently adaptable to all walking conditions.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described which comprises a band adapted to be semi-permanently secured around the heel of a boot, a heel plate and a sole plate each releasably connected to the breast portion of said band, means for releasably securing the rear end of the heel plate to the boot and means for releasably securing the forward end of the sole plate to the boot.

2. A device of the character described which comprises a band adapted to be semi-permanently secured around the heel of a boot, a heel plate and a sole plate each'having a hook and eye connection with the breast portion of said band, means for releasably securing the rear end of the heel plate to the boot and means for releasably securing the forward end of the sole plate to the boot.

3. A device of the character described, which comprises a band adapted to be semi-permanently secured around the heel of a boot, a heel plate and a sole plate, the latter including a hinged portion adapted to underlie the arch of the boot, the breast edge of the heel'plate and the free end of said hinged portion having a hook and eye connection with the breast portion of the band, means for releasably securing the rear end of the heel plate to the boot, and means for releasably securing the forward end of the sole plate to the boot.

4. A device of the character described which comprises a band adapted to surround the heel of a boot, a bar positioned along the breast of the heel to which the ends of the band are fastened to semi-permanently secure the band to the boot heel, a heel plate having a hook member at its breast edge engageable with said bar, a sole plate provided at its rear end with a hook member engageable with said bar, a releasable catch for securing the rear end of the heel plate to the band, and a strap member for releasably securing the forward end of the sole plate to the toe of the boot.

5. A device of the character described comprising a band adapted to be semi-permanently secured around the heel of a boot, a sole plate releasably connected at its rear end to the breast portion of the band and means secured to the portion of theband, said plate being provided atits side portions with a plurality of slots, side plates each having a tongue portion selectively engaging in one of said slots, and means connected to the side plates for receiving a strap to releasably secure the plate to the toe portion of the boot.

'7. A device of the character described comprising a band adapted to be semi-permanently secured around the heel ofa boot, a sole plate releasably connected at its rear end to the breast portion of the band, said plate being provided at its side portions with a plurality of slots, side plates each having a tongue portion selectively engaging in one of said slots, and means connected to the side plates for receiving a strap to releasably secure the plate to the toe portion of the boot, said side plates being provided with beads engageable between the sole and upper of the boot.

EUGENE ARIETI. 

